Europe has banned the Boeing 737 MAX — a plane that has crashed twice since October

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has banned all Boeing 737 MAX airliners from flying in Europe.

The regulatory agency cited the need to ensure the safety of passengers following the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 on Sunday.

EASA also issued a safety directive that is suspending all non-European airlines from operating the Boeing jet into, within, or out of the European Union.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has banned all Boeing 737 MAX airliners from flying in Europe. The regulatory agency cited the need to ensure the safety of passengers following the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 on Sunday. The incident, which killed all 157 on board, marked the second crash of a nearly brand new 737 MAX since October.

"As a precautionary measure, EASA has published today an Airworthiness Directive, effective as of 19:00 UTC, suspending all flight operations of all Boeing Model 737-8 MAX and 737-9 MAX airplanes in Europe," EASA said in a statement on Tuesday.

In addition, EASA also issued a safety directive that is suspending all non-European airlines from operating the 737 MAX into, within, or out of the European Union. The agency also said it has offered its assistance to the ET302 crash investigation that's currently being led by the Ethiopian Authorities with the support of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Even though EASA has banned the aircraft from its airspace, the agency urged caution and declined to assign to blame for the incident.

"EASA is continuously analyzing the data as it becomes available," EASA said. "The accident investigation is currently ongoing, and it is too early to draw any conclusions as to the cause of the accident."

Regulatory agencies in China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Ethiopia have all grounded the 737 MAXs operating within their jurisdictions.

The aircraft is still in operation in the US with American, Southwest, and United Airlines.